Guinevere Vadania Septim
'''Guinevere Vadania Septim '''is the founder and Leader of The Golden Dawn, Queen of Rosenvale, former Honor Guard lieutenant, and Hero of the Realm. She joined the Party after they arrived in the Realm of Light and Dark, after similarly traveling from her hometown of Rosenvale in another plane. Guinivere's proud origins as a royal Bloodhunter have served as the bedrock for her actions. Although her past is riddled with choices she is racked with guilt over, time and time again she rises and pushes forward toward a better dawn. There are three primary sources of Guinevere's continued inner turmoil: her guilt over turning in Daethyra, her tendency to flee in the middle of combat, and her trauma from serving in the Front Lines for the Honor Guard. She has since confessed to her hand in Daethyra's murder, stood with the Party against Bonhart, and begun therapy to treat her PTSD. As Queen, Founder, fighter, and friend, Guinivere has more than proven herself as a Hero of the Realm. History Early Life Guinevere grew up on the plane of Verinfaal, a temperate and vibrant plane in a state of nearly constant war. At the heart of Verinfaal, one major city/stronghold serves as the palace of the emperor and a place where diplomats, travelers, citizens, merchants and all manner of people live and visit. The Golden City (as it is called because of the wealth that passes through) is the envy of every lord and ruler around. In the five kingdoms that surround this city, almost every ruling family somehow has some claim to the throne, and thus, whether in times of war or “peace,” there are often cutthroat politicians employing all manner of assassins and mercenaries to represent their “interests” and hopefully create a void of power that can be seized upon by a new lord. Guinevere grew up in a noble family in the safe kingdom of Archadius, a place known for its beautiful marble architecture, it's devotion to Pelor and Rao, and it's ruling council of high clerics, paladins, and priests. Her father, the accomplished and respected war cleric Daario Septim, settled here after falling in love with and marrying the highborn elf Aurelia Rhuidel. Guinevere was the youngest of three, her two older brothers, being Aegeus Septim and Octavian Septim. She loved them both dearly. Life changed for Guinevere one fateful summer on vacation at her Elven grandparents home in the countryside. At this time a large exiled group of prisoners began pillaging the farmlands of Archadius. Though they posed no threat to the security of the nation, they proved to be a significant problem to anyone not living behind sturdy walls. The extravagant home of Guinevere's grandparents was a prime target for these bandits, and so, Guinevere (then 6), along with her grandparents and her older brother Aegeus (at that time 16) were attacked with hardly any way to defend themselves. Aegeus was killed protecting the family with his bow, and Guinevere's grandparents were quickly killed for protesting against the bandits. Young Guinevere was captured by these bandits and taken to be sold into slavery, where for her young age, would only be bought for a measly sum of money to be sent to Zoros to fight other children to the death in a gladiatorial combat arena. . Guinevere's first fight was an utter disaster. A savage fifteen year old boy struck the poor child down with a spear and pierced her hand and stomach in one strike as Guinevere tried desperately to shield herself from his blows in any way possible. It was then that she thought she'd died. Saved by a man named Tormund Bitterleaf, she was taken to a small Blood Hunter outpost near Zoros where a poison was injected in her bloodstream, giving her a fighting chance against the injury which threatened to kill her. In the end, the toxin stabilized young Guinevere, and made her forever a member of the Blood Hunter Order. It was Tormund's job to find potential agents in the most unlikely of places, and discovering through Guinevere's accent and mannerisms that she was Archadian royalty meant that she could prove to be a valuable asset to the Blood Hunter's Guild. Rosenvale Guinevere's time in Rosenvale was very formative. She was made a member of Blood Hunter aristocracy and adopted by The White Lady, the ghostly ruler of the Order of the Ghostslayers. While among the Blood Hunter's, she lived among them in The White Lady's palace, and and often looked up to her as a mother figure. There, Guinevere was taught how to wield her Blood Magic, and as she would grow older, she would be made to kill minor beasts with the other young prodigies of the Blood Hunter's Guild, so that the young ones could prove their worth. While the young hunters never handled matters expertly, they did their jobs well. Rosenvale was the only place in Verinfaal that accepted Blood Magic. It was a home of outcasts, misfits, and freaks, and yet it was an endearing home. Guinevere found herself happy to be growing up in such agreeable times. It was only after her 22nd birthday that sightings of undead and demons began to become more frequent, and it was around this time that rumors of a demon would send Guinevere on an irreversible journey into a foreign land. Guinevere discovered odd tracks while following the rumors of a demon in Rosenvali land. Surprised by this, she tracked them to a cave where she found nothing except an old ledger filled with names. This being the only thing of interest, she left the cave, only to spot, moments later, the lanky figure of an enormous, pale, and lanky creature headed in her directing. She fled the scene, assuming the strange monster would be too strong to fight alone, and headed for the Blood Hunter's great library. She was determined to find out what exactly she'd seen, and if it was indeed a demon. History books were of no use, only in obscure folklore did she find the name of such a monster - an Envy demon. A shape-shifter that would kill and assume the forms of others in order to pave the way for demon invasions into mortal lands. This was alarming news. At this time, the acting Lord Hunter had passed away, leaving Guinevere's longtime friend Garrett, the Lord Hunter's son, as acting lord of the Guild. When Guinevere called the council to order over this matter, the news was not well received. The leaders of the Blood Hunter Orders did not take too kindly to the theory that a demon from children's folklore could exist, and were upset that this matter had been brought up in a time of mourning. The case was dismissed, Guinevere was sent home with a slap on the wrist for her unnecessary calling of the council, and the Guild was put in a kind of shutdown to mourn the former Lord Hunter's passing away. For the next few days Guinevere wandered the keep, wondering what it was she could do to convince the Guild of what she'd seen. In that time she had few ideas that she believed would work. She could not ask the White Lady for help either, for she had locked herself away in her chambers since Guinevere confronted the Guild about the Envy demon sighting. Garret came to her at this time. The ceremony for his acceptance of the role of Lord Hunter would have to begin soon. He was scared of his new responsibility and wanted a friend to be there with him. He wanted someone to share the whole story with. He wanted Guinevere as a bride and as a Lord Huntress. The two had been well enough acquainted that this was not an odd proposition, but Guinevere did not want to settle down and have children. She wanted to save Rosenvale, so she awkwardly made an excuse that she had to be somewhere else,and fled the scene. It was that night that The White Lady made an appearance to her. She gave Guinevere a shield enchanted with protection from mind magic and told her to follow her gut. If there truly was an Envy demon out there, it needed to be stopped. She wanted Guinevere to ride back to the cave as quickly as possible and put an end to the demon. Even if the other Guild Leaders did not want to believe this news, action had to be taken. Riding to the demon's cave, Guinevere confronted the beast. It could not melt her mind thanks to the enchanted shield, and so, having little physical capability, the Envy demon used the last of its magic to open a portal and escape. Guinevere, wanting desperately to catch this beast and prove her worth to the Guild, dove in the portal after it. She awoke in the plane of the Floating Cities with no demon or friends in sight. Personality Having been raised as royalty for most of her young life, Guinevere has always been somewhat haughty and naive. She's looked down upon the peasantry and cared only for the finer things in life. With recent happenings, however, this attitude has changed quite a bit as she's come to understand the value of her friends and the value in finding humility even in the darkest of hours. She strives to be a better ally and friend every day of her life, and with a newfound sense of optimism, one day hopes to give people the lives that they deserve - lives free of the oppressive magic of the Black Dragon. Powers and Abilities Bloodhunter Guinevere's martial prowess stems from her Blood Hunter training. She is able to invoke Rites of Flame, Frost, and Lightning in order to hit her opponents with an extra burst of magical energy. She also knows a few esoteric rites, that of the Oracle, which grants psychic damage, and that of the Dawn, which deals radiant damage to her opponents. Additionally, her Blood Hunter powers and Ghost Slayer specialization give her a unique edge in combat, allowing her to move quickly in the darkness, turn partially spectral, and lay Blood Curses upon her opponents. Solar Guinevere was granted the minor Solar Boon from the Golden Dragon, allowing her to project the Golden Dragon's divine light at will. Items and Equipment Guinevere's signature weapon was once a sword given to her by the White Lady of Rosenvale, an ancient blade coated in silver with red glowing runes etched onto its blade. After giving the sword to Derrilyn following her departure for the Frontlines, Guinevere trained in the use of firearms and ranged weaponry for quite a bit, using its power to aid her friends both up close and from a distance. Her powerful Barrett Mega-Longrifle, her since signature weapon was given to her after her establishment of the Golden Dawn. One of her first weapon requests, it quickly became an important part of her arsenal. Relationships Trivia * Guinevere's best friend is Kid, who she's been through so much with. * Guinevere does not eat meat. * Guinevere's favorite color is crimson. * It is unclear if this is true or not, but Guinevere once stated that she was stood up at her prom.